As we head into 2023, we are happy to announce the members of the HigherEdMilitary Advisory Council. HigherEdMilitary is dedicated to serving and supporting military connected higher ed professionals by providing best practices, tools, information, resources, and career opportunities in higher education. The council will help fulfill the mission and goals of HigherEdMilitary, along with guide initiatives and enhance programming based on trends occurring in the field.

We are honored to welcome such an esteemed group. We are excited to work with this determined and well-rounded cohort of professionals who are dedicated to serving veterans in higher education.

Jessica Murnock

Jessie Murnock currently serves at the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the President. Jessie joined the University of Louisville President's team in January 2020 as the Executive Officer to the President through the Army Career Skills Program. Jessie retired from the United States Army after 20 years of active-duty service in June 2020. Although she was new to the Office of the President, she was not new to the University of Louisville. Jessie previously served as the University of Louisville's Army ROTC Professor of Military Science and Department Chair from 2015 - 2019. In her current role as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Jessie seeks opportunities to advocate and mentor those transitioning service members seeking a professional career in Higher Education.

Over the course of her military career, Jessie served in various leadership positions and senior human resource manager roles. Some of her key assignments include Executive Officer and Board Recorder for the Department of the Army Secretariat for Selection Boards at Human Resources Command, Fort Knox, KY; Brigade S1/Senior Human Resource Manager for 1^st Space Brigade, Peterson Air Force Base, CO and 101^st Sustainment Brigade, Fort Campbell, KY/Afghanistan; Company Commander, Basic Combat Training, Fort Jackson, SC and Human Resource Detachment Commander, Fort Carson, CO/Iraq. Jessie is a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, and Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.

Jessie is a native of Cottage Grove, WI. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Justice Administration from Columbus State University, Columbus, GA, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Auburn University, Auburn, AL.

Jessie resides in Crestwood, KY with her husband (US Army Retired) and their daughter.

Hira Byrne Paulin

Hira Byrne is a disability and higher education professional. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and focuses on empowering individuals in becoming an equal participant in their services and care. She provides professional development for campuses interested in universal design practices to support service-connected veterans in their classrooms and helps build collaborative interdepartmental pathways to connect service-connected veterans with campus disability services. She has held positions as a disability counselor in the community college setting. In addition to her formal roles, she is also actively involved in the veteran transition space where majority of her time is spent providing mentorship to service-connected veterans on the topics of: functional impacts of disability; translating VA Rating into federal and state programs or accommodations veterans may be eligible for; and self-advocacy development.

Mrs. Byrne has been working in higher education since 2014 and has held faculty and staff roles. She is currently an Advisory Council Member for HigherEdMilitary, a Grant Project Specialist for NSF Resource Center DeafTEC's Veteran Program, and an Assistant Dean of Admission on the Transfer & Military Team with Amherst College. Mrs. Byrne started her educational journey in community college and is currently a PhD Candidate at Northern Illinois University, her research focus in military moral injury. She is the spouse of a career enlisted Marine.

Monteigne Long

Monteigne Long is a Gold Star wife and military spouse who has been working with student veterans in higher education since 2010, when colleges and universities saw a large influx of Post-9/11 veterans. Prior to joining The Texas A&M University System, Monteigne served as the Veterans Coordinator at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, CA, and opened the first Veterans Resource Center at California State University, Northridge. She received a bachelor's degree in Marketing from Texas A&M University and a master's degree in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education Administration at Texas A&M University.

As Associate Director, Monteigne facilitates the collaboration and communication among the 11 campuses of the Texas A&M University System that enroll over 4,500 student veterans and 7,000 military family members. Monteigne is an alumna of the 2022 George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program. Additionally, she serves on numerous committees and boards. She is the Co-Chair of the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) Veterans Knowledge Community and a member of the advisory board for the Veteran Spouse Network. In 2018, Monteigne received several awards and recognition for her service to the military-affiliated community in California, including Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Steve Knight, along with a Commendation from Los Angeles County Supervisor, Kathleen Barger.

Monteigne and her husband, Ron, a Marine Corps Veteran, have a daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys running and spending time with her family.

Daniel Avegalio

Daniel Avegalio is currently a Military and Veteran Advocate in Missouri working with Whiteman Air Force base and the State of Missouri to help improve the lives of Military, Veterans, and their families. Prior to his current role, Daniel was the Dean of Student Services at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri overseeing Advising, Financial Aid, Veteran Services, TRIO, Testing Center, Admissions and Records, Outreach, Campus Housing, Student Life, and serves in the role of the Title IX and Student Conduct Officer. Prior to his role at SFCC, Daniel was the Director of Student Services at Sierra College in Rocklin CA, overseeing DSPS, Veteran's Services, and providing support to Health Services and the Residence Halls. Daniel was a first-generation college student who started his education at American River College in Sacramento, CA following his service in the Marine Corps. He served between 2004-2009 and deployed three times to Iraq to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. While pursuing his own education, his passion for supporting students transitioning from one station of life to another grew. He saw his transition from the military to college life as parallel to the difficulties others were experiencing whether it was the transition from high school, or as a reentry student after a prolonged absence from post-secondary education. He knew he could make a difference and focused his efforts on a career path in the community college system.

Daniel also started his career at American River College and held leadership positions in Student Services supporting various programs such as DSPS, EOPS, and the Career Center. He primarily worked as the Student Services Supervisor overseeing the Veterans Resource Center and TRIO Veterans program. He has taught human development/personal development courses and has facilitated workshops for instructors on how to work with student veterans. Daniel served as the Region 2 representative on the California Community College Veterans Advisory Committee and serves on various committees in the Sacramento community. He graduated from American River College, and California State University, Sacramento earning his M.S in Rehabilitation Counseling.

Robert Prah

Rob Prah served as the Director of Military & Veterans Affairs at the former California University of Pennsylvania for more than 15 years. He served as the third director in nearly 50 years, a full-time Military & Veteran position that began in 1973 in an effort to serve Veterans returning from Vietnam. Rob is a Pennsylvania native. He joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in January 2001 and participated in Operation Noble Eagle (Homeland Security) and Operation Iraqi Freedom 2009-11. In addition, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Master of Science in Law & Public Policy with a concentration in Homeland Security from California University of Pennsylvania. He is a recent graduate of the Army's Command and General Staff College. Rob has served in the Army National Guard & Army Reserve components for over 22 years and currently holds the rank of Major. He is currently assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Norfolk, VA. Rob is also an adjunct at Westmoreland College in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. He remains very active in the local community by serving as a Post Commander at his local American Legion, a District Deputy for the Westmoreland County American Legion (31st District), and is also active with organizations such as Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, Team Red, White & Blue, Military Officers Association of America, and a life member of the Outer Banks (NC) Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He resides in Rostraver Township, PA, with his wife and two children. His wife is also an Officer and is serving on active duty with the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Article Topics

Military Friendly Institutions Research on Student Veterans Serving Military in HigherEd Women Veterans Working as a Veteran in HigherEd

Republish this article for free. We want to make it easier for you to share knowledge and creativity, and encourage you to reuse our articles under a Creative Commons license.